What They Do

We asked argodesign to explain what they do. Here is what they had to say.

argodesign is a product design consultancy, growth partner to entrepreneurs, and incubator of new experiences. Our mission is to create products that hide their technological prowess, evoke delight, and demonstrate simplicity and value.

Perks and Programs

We asked argodesign to share a few programs they feel really capture what's unique about their workplace. Here is what they had to say.

Snäk: Building a team: Each Thursday, we hold space for everyone in the studio to gather together and learn something from one another. We call it Snäk time, and we take turns hosting each week, so every argonaut has the chance to play a leadership role no matter their position in the company. The focus of these gatherings is related in some way to the hosts’ expertise, experiences, and/or individual areas of interest, and is tied to a theme that comes through creatively in the food and drink served. This can be anything from a team of designers presenting what they’ve learned to date on a specific project, to a recap of an argonaut’s experience speaking at a conference abroad, to a “how to” session on a personal interest project.

Cobra: Building a car: We took the concept of ‘team building’ to the next level with our Shelby Cobra replica kit car project. Our philosophy of “think by making” is a credo for how our team approaches creative work, and building a car together as a team, piece by piece, has proven a unique way to express this culture of making. It also offers argonauts an opportunity to break away from what is often purely digital work, sparking new creativity by working with their hands. As the project has progressed, we celebrate milestones with the whole team together around the car in the garage bay, pit crew style — like when we completed the suspension and we got to put the tires on for the first time! The car is now fully functioning and legally registered, and argonauts reserve time after hours to take it out and show it off around town.

Wurstfest: Building traditions: In November 2014, we loaded our fledgling team on a bus and headed to New Braunfels, Texas, for Wurstfest. We had no particular connection to this celebration of German culture and Texas whimsy — but it looked like fun! We enjoyed the beer hall, polka music, and Gravitron rides that year and every November since. There are now funny hats and Bavarian costumes involved, and karaoke to cap off the evening. Wurstfest was just the first of many argo traditions. Do Deca Hexathlon is our annual spring field games competition. There’s a "special gift" that materializes at our holiday gift exchange every year, and the badges — think Scout patches — we give to commemorate our fun together. Our traditions aren’t always serious affairs, but we take them seriously, because we recognize their value in building a sense of belonging and common values among our team.

argoIntro: Understanding each other: We pride ourselves on having built a team with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. As we continue to grow and add new personalities to the mix, it becomes more and more challenging for everyone to get a glimpse into the unique journeys their teammates took to get where they are today. To solve for that, as part of our weekly all-hands meeting, we give one argonaut an opportunity to tell their story to the whole studio. The presentations are funny, vulnerable, honest, personal, and always impressive. This ritual provides an opportunity to learn what each person is interested in, their strengths and weaknesses, what motivates them at their core, and quirks that ultimately make them strong teammates and unique contributors to the studio. This helps us assign people to work we know they’ll enjoy, and uncovers individual superpowers that other argonauts can rely on when they need an extra hand.

argoLearn: Teaching each other: While everyone in the studio brings unique experience and expertise to the table, we recognize that we each have plenty to learn no matter our title or position. In fact, a lot of information can be transferred from person to person in the studio. With argoLearn, argonauts volunteer to share their expertise with the team in a structured setting, which is typically an interactive workshop. This gives people the opportunity to put together a formal presentation that can span anywhere from a couple of hours to a two-day workshop. This is similar to Snäk, but more in-depth and argo focused.

argoNavigate: Mentoring each other: This is an initiative we kicked off this past year in response to feedback we got from the team on mentorship. We have quite a few senior creatives on our team, but their seniority doesn’t take away from a desire for continual growth and learning. argoNavigate is our peer mentorship program that encourages the team to actively learn from one another on both a personal and professional level. No matter if someone stays with argo for a couple of years or 10+, our hope is that every person leaves with more than they came in with. argoNavigate provides an opportunity to look big-picture, setting career goals and identifying the right steps to achieve them. It’s also nice to have an accountability buddy that will check in and make sure there’s follow-through.

argonosh: Building friendships: Oftentimes, the best way to build and foster friendships is by sharing a meal. An argo Creative Director took the reigns on establishing a monthly supperclub called ‘argonosh’ that not only gives us the opportunity to break bread together, but also to explore the best restaurants our city has to offer. Everyone is invited, but typically the group changes month to month so people have the chance to participate as their schedules allow. This also encourages argonauts to spark conversation with folks they may not typically engage with. An added benefit is the clever argonosh restaurant reviews that are sent to the whole studio in retrospect. Another approach to friendship is actively getting out of your comfort zone. That’s where argo Adventure Club comes in. From yoga, to standup paddle boarding, to running the trail, our weekly Adventure Club encourages people to break a sweat and try something new together.

Cultivating design education: Our founding team is made up of experienced designers and creatives, each of whom have received incredible mentorship and education opportunities (whether formal or informal), and it’s important to argo as a studio that we give back. Numerous people on staff are involved with AC4D (Austin Center for Design), partner Kevin McDonald is a lecturer at the University of Texas School of Design and Creative Technologies, and several argonauts lead their own workshops on specific areas of expertise that can benefit the local design community. We like to take a boots on the ground approach and put our money where our mouth is. argo is also affiliated with organizations including Maker Faire, Girls Who Code, Latinitas and STEM Scouts, constantly looking for new ways to broaden access to technology in design education and beyond.

Fostering design community: We enjoy offering our studio space as a gathering place for people to come together and learn, share, and experience design in its many forms. We’ve hosted several studio tours, happy hours, panels and even concerts here among the design community. Local design-focused events like Austin Design Week (ADW) and the RAD Office Tour include argo as part of their programming year over year. There has always been one or more members of the argo team on the ADW Advisory Board, and we’re meaningfully invested in the ongoing success of these design community-focused events as they grow and evolve.

Creative Summit: Our annual Creative Summit brings together everyone in the organization to showcase their efforts, and present their vision and plan for the future. Whether it be design, marketing, HR or business development, each argo team member is recognized for the work they’ve put in to contribute to argo's growth. Furthermore, this Summit offers bold transparency into business performance and trajectory. This transparency gives all argonauts a clear sense of where we are and where we’re headed, with the opportunity to contribute ideas and opinions on critical decisions that inform how we move forward.

COMPENSATION BY THE NUMBERS

67% Company-paid health coverage for employees

WORK-LIFE BALANCE BY THE NUMBERS

Unlimited Vacation Paid time off

21 days Paid time off after one year of part-time employment

Unlimited Sick Paid time off

Unlimited Paid time off as of first day of full-time employment

21 days Paid time off as of first day of part-time employment

WORK-LIFE BALANCE PROGRAMS

Flexible schedule (10% use it)

Telecommute option (10% use it)

Compressed work weeks (60% use it)

Onsite Amenities (We provide a variety of snacks for employees, and communal lunch food options. The company bike is available for people to use for transportation or exercise throughout the day. We also have a company-built car, the Shelby Cobra, that is available for employees to sign out and take for the evenings or on weekends.)

FAMILY CARE BY THE NUMBERS

30 days Job-protected maternity leave (including FMLA/STD)

15 days Fully-paid maternity leave (does not include personal vacation or paid time off)*

30 days Job-protected paternity leave (including FMLA)

15 days Fully-paid paternity leave (does not include personal vacation or paid time off)*

20 days Average length of paternity leave new fathers take

*Employees are not required to use all their personal paid time off before taking parental leave.All employees are eligible for parental leave benefits.

Leadership Diversity

Workforce Diversity

DEMOGRAPHICS

How to Get Hired

We asked argodesign for some inside information on how to get hired at the organization. Here is what they had to say.

What key characteristics tell you a prospective employee will be a great fit for your company?

For designers, a portfolio of good work is the first indication of great fit for our company. We look for a portfolio that demonstrates quality of design, clear and creative thinking in design choices, and the wherewithal (ability and willingness to take risks) to tackle difficult design problems. For all candidates, we look for professionalism and quality of work product demonstrated in the work history, as well as a clear sense of career direction. Passion for product is the driving force in our company, so it’s a critical characteristic for prospective employees. People who share our drive to design great products will find a workplace culture that allows them to do the best work of their careers, and work they find creatively satisfying.

What can prospective employees do to get your attention?

Send an email to careers@argodesign.com, and include a link to a portfolio and/or a resumé.

Are there any positions or types of candidates you are particularly focused on hiring in this coming year?

Our focus in the next 12 months will be hiring designers, especially in the software design disciplines — including visual design, interaction design, experience design, information architecture, and design research — particularly those with passion and demonstrated experience designing products.

What should interested candidates do to find out more and get started?

Send an email to careers@argodesign.com, and include a link to a portfolio and/or a resumé.

hiring Outlook

10 Forecasted positions to fill in coming year

19% Job Growth

13 Average applicants per opening

200 Total job applicants

55% New hires by employee referrals

4% Openings filled by current employees

1 Recent graduates hired

15% Voluntary turnover for full-time employees

* All figures refer to 12-month period prior to reporting, unless otherwise noted.